PREM STAR & HIS MUM IN ‘WILD WEST’ CLUB BRAWL
AN England footballer and his mum were slapped with suspended jail sentences yesterday over a nightclub brawl that was “like a scene from the Wild West”.
Newcastle United star Rolando Aarons, 22, and Joan Jacob, 46, admitted affray in a 90-second fracas at the city’s Livello club.
Amateur footballer Wesley Erskine suffered a head injury in the fight, in which bottles were thrown and weapons used. But CCTV of the violence showed the injury was not caused by Aarons or any of his co-accused.
At Newcastle crown court, Aarons got 10 months, suspended for 12 months, plus £800 costs and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Edward Bindloss told him: “You are a public figure and you have a responsibility to behave in a proper and decent way. “But you have let your standards slip.” Mum Jacob, of Newcastle, was given 28 weeks’ jail, suspended for 12 months, with a two-month electronic 10pm-to-7am curfew.
The court heard the altercation in October 2016, while Aarons was out celebrating his child’s first birthday, was sparked by a pal of Mr Erskine filming Aarons’ aunt as she danced with one of his group.
Penny Bottomley, prosecuting, said: “The situation became heated. Mr Aarons walks towards a friend of Mr Erskine and... is seen headbutting him. Mr Aarons is held back but breaks free and lunges towards another male. Mr Aarons punches him twice and is dragged off, but walks back and hits him again.”
The court heard “all hell breaks loose” with glasses and bottles thrown in the brawl, timed at 90 seconds on CCTV. Security told police it was the worst they had seen, one saying it was “like a scene from the Wild West”.
Toby Hedworth QC, mitigating for Aarons, said Mr Erskine’s group was thrown out of a Gateshead hotel due to “disorderly conduct” after travelling from London for the weekend.
Aarons’ friend Jamar Collins, 23, of Bristol, got 10 months’ jail , suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours of unpaid work. Kallum Phillips, 23, of Bristol, and the player’s cousin Garfield White, 23, both admitted affray.
White is serving an 18- year extended sentence for wounding with intent and got 15 months to run concurrently. The sentencing of Phillips was delayed for a probation report.
England Under-20s star Aarons joined the Magpies in 2012 from Bristol City. He was on loan at Italian club Hellas Verona last season.
Mr Aarons punches him twice …and hits him again
PROSECUTOR TELLING COURT HOW IT UNFOLDED